Warming tool, warming kit, method for manufacturing warming kit, and warming method using the warming kit

ABSTRACT

Provided is a warming tool (1) comprising a front face part (3) and a back face part (4) formed from a flexible fabric. The front face part (3) and the back face part (4) comprise upper end parts (3t, 4t), both side end parts (3s, 4s), and lower end parts (3b, 4b) in peripheral edge sections thereof, the upper end parts (3t, 4t) and the both side end parts (3s, 4s) being connected respectively, whereby the warming tool (1) has a bag shape that opens on the side of the lower end parts (3b, 4b). The upper end parts (3t, 4t) comprise a neck part (1A) formed in a center section thereof to a size that allows a head of a human body to pass therethrough, the both side end parts (3s, 4s) comprise arm parts (1B) formed on an upper part side thereof so that arms of the human body can pass therethrough, and the front face part (3) further comprises a plurality of pockets (6A to 6H) on a surface thereof for holding heating elements (100) that emit heat when brought into contact with air.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a warming tool, a warming kit, a method for manufacturing a warming kit, and a warming method using the warming kit for preventing a decrease in body temperature during an emergency such as a disaster or a rescue situation, or when a heater cannot be used due to a power outage or kerosene or fuel exhaustion.

BACKGROUND ART

A decrease in body temperature during an emergency such as a disaster, a high-altitude or snow-related rescue situation, or an accident-related injury significantly affects the prognosis of a victim. This decrease in body temperature results in increased bleeding, and subsequently conversely leads to factors that cause blood clots. Sufficiently keeping a person warm makes it possible to prevent bleeding and subsequent blood clotting. That is, when a disaster, major injury, or the like occurs, it is extremely important to maintain body temperature.

For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a method for effectively keeping a person warm by adhering portable body warmers to suitable locations on clothing.

PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS Patent Documents

Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2009-185433

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

Nevertheless, with the prior art warming method, adhering the portable body warmers during an emergency is not easy. Further, the body is basically heated using the heat of the portable body warmers alone, which does not always have a sufficient warming effect.

In particular, when a person sustains an injury in a disaster or a high-altitude or snow-related rescue situation, a long time is required for rescue and the physical strength that enables the victim to maintain body temperature on his or her own declines abruptly, requiring a method that can more effectively keep a person warm for a longer period of time. Ensuring that the victim or the like arrives at a hospital having been kept sufficiently warm significantly increases the survival rate of the victim, and decreases subsequent complications.

The present invention was made in view of the above-described problems, and it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a warming tool capable of more effectively keeping a human warm body for a long period of time during an emergency such as a disaster or a rescue situation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a warming kit that includes the warming tool described above, is easily carried, and can be quickly used in an emergency, and a manufacturing method thereof.

Furthermore, another object of the present invention is to provide a warming method for more effectively warming a human body for a long period of time using the warming kit during an emergency such as a disaster or a rescue situation.

MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

A warming tool according to the present invention comprises a front face part and a back face part formed from a flexible fabric;

the front face part and the back face part comprising upper end parts, both side end parts, and lower end parts in peripheral edge sections thereof, the upper end parts and the both side end parts being connected respectively, whereby the warming tool has a bag shape that opens on the side of the lower end parts;

the upper end parts comprising a neck part formed in center sections thereof to a size that allows a head of a human body to pass therethrough;

the both side end parts comprising arm parts formed on an upper part side thereof so that arms of the human body can pass therethrough; and

the front face part further comprising a plurality of pockets on a surface thereof for holding heating elements that emit heat when brought into contact with air.

Preferably, the neck part is formed into a slit shape between the upper end parts of the front face part and the back face part, the upper end parts having a linear shape.

Preferably, the warming tool further comprises sleeve parts connected to the arm parts and having a cylinder shape so as to cover sections of the arms of the human body that protrude from the arm parts.

Preferably, the warming tool has dimensions that, when worn on a human body of a standard type (presumably about 170 cm in height and about 60 kg in weight), allow at least both knees of the human body to be covered.

Preferably, the plurality of pockets is formed only on the surface of the front face part and not on the back face part.

Further, preferably the plurality of pockets includes at least one of the following:

(1) a pocket formed for disposing the heating element in a vicinity of an armpit of the human body; (2) a pocket formed for disposing the heating element in a vicinity from a groin region to a femoral region of the human body; and (3) a pocket formed for disposing the heating element in a vicinity of an abdominal region of the human body.

Further, preferably the front face part comprises a hole for promoting intake of heat from the heating element into the warming tool, in each pocket forming position.

Preferably, the pocket comprises an upper side fabric piece and a lower side fabric piece;

the upper side fabric piece comprising a peripheral edge section connected to the surface of the front face part, excluding a lower end side;

the lower side fabric piece comprising a peripheral edge section connected to the surface of the front face part, excluding an upper end side; and

the pocket being formed so that a lower side end part of the upper side fabric piece overlaps with an upper side end part of the lower side fabric piece, the heating element can be inserted and removed through this overlapping part, and the heating element is prevented from falling out of the pocket.

A warming kit according to the present invention comprises:

the warming tool described above that stores heating elements in pockets; and

a bag that stores the warming tool folded to a predetermined size;

the warming tool being vacuum-packed by the bag to prevent the heating elements from emitting heat.

Preferably, the warming kit further comprises a cord member that is stored inside the bag and is for securing the warming tool worn on a human body to the human body.

A method for manufacturing a warming kit according to the present invention comprises the steps of:

removing heating elements vacuum-packed in advance from a bag;

inserting the heating elements into pockets of the warming tool described above;

folding the warming tool to a predetermined size, and storing the folded warming tool in a bag;

vacuum-drawing the air inside the bag; and

sealing an opening of the bag.

A warming method according to the present invention comprises the steps of tearing the bag of the warming kit described above, pulling the warming tool of the warming kit over a head of a human body, passing the head through the neck part, and passing arms of the human body through the arm parts while causing the heating elements inside the pockets to emit heat, thereby warming the human body.

Preferably, the warming method according to the present invention further comprises the step of binding the human body wearing the warming tool from an outer side of the warming tool using the cord member inside the bag of the warming kit, thereby preventing air warmed inside the warming tool from escaping to the outside.

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION

The present inventor, based on personal experience as an emergency physician, devised a warming tool and a warming kit that most efficiently warm a human body for a long period of time.

While organisms have many mechanisms for maintaining homeostasis and keep a constant body temperature, homeostasis cannot be maintained in a state of hypothermia caused by a level of coldness that makes it difficult to maintain homeostasis, or caused by failure of these mechanisms due to injury or the like. Even in such cases, putting the warming tool of the present invention on the human body makes it possible to efficiently increase the body temperature using the heat of the heating elements and, according to the warming tool of the present invention, suppress outflow of warmed air from inside the warming tool to the extent possible, allowing the human body to be efficiently warmed for a long period of time.

Furthermore, the warming tool according to the present invention allows the user to move while wearing the warming tool in the same way as clothing on the body, thereby significantly aiding in the prevention of blood clotting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a warming tool according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the warming tool in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3A is an enlarged front view illustrating a structure of a neck part.

FIG. 3B is an enlarged view of the neck part as viewed from above.

FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating a structure of a pocket part.

FIG. 5 is a plan view illustrating yet another structure of the pocket part.

FIG. 6 is an external view of a portable body warmer.

FIG. 7 is an external view of a warming kit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a drawing of an example of use of the warming tool.

FIG. 9 is a drawing of an example of use of a cord member.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are drawings of a structure of a warming tool according to an embodiment of the present invention. A warming tool 1 comprises a front face part 3 and a back face part 4, each having a rectangular outer shape and formed from a flexible fabric. The front face part 3 and the back face part 4 have substantially the same dimensions.

The front face part 3 and the back face part 4 comprise upper end parts 3 t, 4 t and both side end parts 3 s, 4 s in peripheral edge sections thereof. These upper end parts 3 t, 4 t and both side end parts 3 s, 4 s are sewn together, and thus the warming tool 1 is formed into a bag shape that opens on the side of lower end parts 3 b, 4 b of the front face part 3 and the back face part 4.

A neck part 1A is formed in center sections of the upper end parts 3 t, 4 t to a size that allows a head of a human body to pass therethrough.

The neck part 1A is formed by partially not sewing together the center sections of the upper end parts 3 t, 4 t. Specifically, the neck part 1A is formed into a linear shape between the upper end parts 3 t, 4 t of the front face part 3 and the back face part 4, as illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B. The neck part 1A is formed linearly as a slit-shaped gap such as illustrated in FIG. 3B and thus, although the gap widens when the head is passed therethrough, the neck part 1A closes once the head is through. This decreases the likelihood of warm air stored inside the bag-shaped warming tool 1 escaping to the outside.

The warming tool 1 further comprises arm parts 1B formed on upper part sides of the both side end parts 3 s, 4 s of the front face part 3 and the back face part 4 so as to allow arms of a human body to pass therethrough. These arm parts 1B are formed by partially not sewing together the upper part sides of the both side end parts 3 s, 4 s of the neck part 1A.

The warming tool 1 further comprises a slit 1C on lower sides of the both side end parts 3 s, 4 s of the front face part 3 and the back face part 4. This slit 1C is formed by partially not sewing together the lower sides of the both side end parts 3 s, 4 s. The slit 1C is provided to ensure ease of walking by a user when the warming tool 1 is worn on the body of the user.

The warming tool 1 further comprises sleeve parts 10 having tubular shapes and respectively connected to both of the arm parts 1B. The sleeve parts 10 are provided so as to cover sections of the arms of the user that protrude from the arm parts 1B.

The warming tool 1 is, for example, formed using a thick nonwoven fabric made from 80% polypropylene and 20% calcium carbonate. The warming tool 1 preferably has a warm color, such as yellow or orange, that can be easily found during a disaster, a rescue situation, or the like. In this embodiment, the color is yellow. While the front face part 3 and the back face part 4 are each formed by layering two pieces of nonwoven fabric to increase warming in this embodiment, the configuration is not limited thereto.

A plurality of pocket parts 6 (6A to 6H) for holding portable body warmers 100 described later is provided on a surface of the front face part of the warming tool 1. The portable body warmer 100 is a heating element that emits heat for a certain period of time when brought into contact with air. The pocket parts 6 (6A to 6H) are not provided to the back face part 4. This prevents the back of the user from getting burned and eliminates a sense of back discomfort caused by an unevenness of the portable body warmers 100 when the user reclines on a backrest or lies down.

The specific arrangement of the plurality of pocket parts 6 (6A to 6H) will be described later. Here, the structure of the pocket part 6 is described.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the pocket part 6 comprises an upper side fabric piece 61 and a lower side fabric piece 62 having rectangular shapes. Three sides, including an upper end part and both side parts, of the upper side fabric piece 61 are sewn to the front face part 3, and three sides, including a lower end part and both side parts, of the lower side fabric piece 62 are sewn to the front face part 3. The upper side fabric piece 61 partially overlaps with the lower side fabric piece 62 so that an overlapping part 63 and an upper end section of the lower side fabric piece 62 are formed in a lower end part of the upper side fabric piece 61. An opening formed in the overlapping part 63 between the upper side fabric piece 61 and the lower side fabric piece 62 serves as an insertion/removal port 64 of the portable body warmer 100. The insertion/removal port 64 is always open, making it easy to store the portable body warmer 100 in or remove the portable body warmer 100 from the pocket part 6 by expanding the insertion/removal port 64. With the overlapping part 63 provided, it is possible to reliably prevent the portable body warmer 100 from falling out of the pocket part 6.

FIG. 5 illustrates the internal structure of the pocket part 6. Two holes 3H1, 3H2 are formed in the section where the pocket part 6 is disposed on the front face part 3. The holes 3H1, 3H2 are provided to promote the intake of heat from the portable body warmer 100 into the warming tool 1. The dimensions of the holes 3H1, 3H2 can be suitably adjusted. The number of holes is also not limited thereto, and can be suitably changed.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example of the portable body warmer 100.

The portable body warmer 100 stores a composition 110 such as iron powder, water, inorganic powder for moisture adjustment, activated carbon, and salts in a package 101 such as a paper or resin bag, and an outer peripheral edge part 101 s is sealed. Examples of specific commercial products include heating elements similar to Hokkairo (trademark of Kowa Company, Ltd.) and the like. The portable body warmer 100 is vacuum-packed in a bag made from a plastic film (not illustrated) prior to use. When the portable body warmer 100 is removed from this bag, the iron powder comes into contact with the air, oxidizes, and emits heat. Generally, the portable body warmer 100 is manufactured so as to continually emit heat at a temperature of tens of degrees Celsius for about 12 hours. It should be noted that, in addition to commercial portable body warmers, dedicated portable body warmers may also be used.

FIG. 7 is an external view of a warming kit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

A warming kit 200 stores the warming tool 1 folded to a predetermined size as well as a cord member 300 in a bag 201 made from a plastic film, and an outer peripheral part 203, excluding an opening 202 of the bag 201, is sealed. Additionally, to ensure that the unused portable body warmer 100 held in the warming tool 1 is not brought into contact with air, the air in the interior is released and the bag 201 is sealed by a seal part 204 on the opening side. That is, the bag 201 vacuum-packs the warming tool 1.

The portable body warmers 100 vacuum-packed in advance are removed from a bag and respectively stored in the pocket parts 6A to 6H of the warming tool 1 so as to not come into contact with air to the extent possible. This warming tool 1 is then folded to predetermined dimensions, inserted into the bag 201, and vacuum-packed.

To reliably prevent air from entering, the bag 201 is a plastic film having a multi-layer structure.

The cord member 300 is, for example, a hemp cord of about 2 m, and is enclosed in the bag 201 to secure the warming tool 1 worn on a human body to the human body. The cord member 300 is tied crosswise to facilitate shoulder movement, or used, for example, as a belt in the vicinity of the abdominal region for preventing warm air from escaping from the area of the feet, thereby helping the user more effectively use the warming tool 1.

FIG. 8 illustrates a user wearing the warming tool 1. It should be noted that, while the user is actually wearing clothing, the clothing is not illustrated as a matter of convenience of explanation. Further, the height of the user is presumably an ordinary height of about 170 cm.

When the user wants to avoid a decrease in body temperature, the user removes the warming tool 1 from the bag 201 of the warming kit 200. The portable body warmers 100 held in the warming tool 1 removed from the bag 201 come into contact with air and start to emit heat. The user pulls the bag-shaped warming tool 1 over his or her head, brings his or her head through the neck part 1A and to the outside, and passes both arms through the arm parts 1B and into the sleeve parts 10.

As illustrated in FIG. 8, the warming tool 1 has dimensions in a vertical direction that allow coverage from the shoulders to the vicinity of the ankles when the user is standing, and dimensions in a horizontal direction that allow ample room for a standard body size. The sleeve parts 10 have a length that reaches the finger tips, and prevent warm air from escaping from the arm parts 1B and the sleeve parts 10.

As illustrated in FIG. 8, the pocket parts 6A, 6C are disposed in armpit regions 501A, 501B of the human body.

The pocket part 6B is disposed in a chest region 502.

The pocket parts 6D to 6F are disposed in an abdominal region 503 where bones and large muscles do not exist, making it easy to warm internal organs directly.

The pocket parts 6G, 6H are disposed in groin to femoral regions 504A, 504B.

To efficiently warm the body, areas with arteries close to the body surface should be warmed. Representative areas include the neck where the carotid artery is located, both armpits where the axillary artery is located, and the groin region to the inner side of the femur where the femoral artery is located. Thus, in this embodiment, the pocket parts 6 are disposed in four locations (both armpit regions (both sides) and both groin to femoral regions), excluding the neck, making it possible to efficiently warm the body using the portable body warmers 100.

That is, the portable body warmers 100 are disposed in the armpit regions 501A, 501B, thereby readily warming both hands and arms, and in the groin to femoral regions 504A, 504B, thereby readily warming both legs.

Further, the portable body warmers 100 are disposed in three locations of the abdominal region 503, thereby preventing a decrease in temperature of internal organs in the abdominal cavity.

The portable body warmer 100 disposed in the pocket part 6B in the middle of the chest region 502 is in a chest region near the heart and, while having a relatively small body-warming effect, can be expected to have a mental effect. That is, while warming is not actually performed well by the portable body warmer 100 in the pocket part 6B, the user mentally senses being warmed.

According to the warming tool 1 of this embodiment, the neck part 1A is given the above-described structure and the sleeve parts 10 are provided, thereby enclosing the air warmed from the neck and arm parts inside the warming tool 1 having an ample size, making the warmed air less likely to escape to the outside, and thus making extremely effective warming possible.

As illustrated in FIG. 9, if the cord member 300 is used in place of a belt to bring the warming tool 1 in close contact with the lumbar region of the user, the warmed air is less likely to escape from the opening on the lower side of the warming tool 1, making even more effective warming possible.

The cord member 300 is used to make it easier for the user to move, thereby leading to warming.

When the portable body warmers 100 no longer emit heat after being removed from the bag 201 of the warming kit 200, the portable body warmers 100 are replaced with new portable body warmers 100, making it possible to achieve warming for an even longer period of time.

The warming tool 1 can thus be used many times by newly replacing the portable body warmers 100.

While it is very important to maintain body temperature when a disaster, a major injury, or the like occurs, prior art warming methods could only keep a person warm for a short period of time due to the physical strength remaining for self-maintaining body temperature. In actuality, both physical strength and body temperature decrease. Therefore, according to the warming method of this embodiment, efficient warming can be achieved for a long period of time and the user can move more easily, thereby suppressing a decrease in physical strength. As a result, the user arrives at the hospital having been kept sufficiently warm, thereby saving his or her life. Further, the user is rescued having been kept sufficiently warm, thereby decreasing subsequent complications.

While an example of a warming tool applicable to a standard body type of about 170 cm in height and 60 kg in weight for a human body is given in the above-described embodiment, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a warming tool having dimensions that correspond to an age, a body type, a gender, or the like may be manufactured.

In the above-described embodiments, while cases of a disaster, a rescue situation, and the like are given as application examples of the present invention, the application is not limited thereto, and the present invention can be applied to various scenarios for preventing a decrease in body temperature.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   1 Warming tool -   1A Neck part -   1B Arm part -   1C Slit -   3 Front face part -   4 Back face part -   6, 6A to 6H Pocket part -   10 Sleeve part -   100 Portable body warmer (Heating element) -   101 Package -   110 Iron powder -   200 Warming kit -   201 Bag -   300 Cord member -   501A, 501B Armpit region -   502 Chest region -   503 Abdominal region -   504A, 504B Groin to femoral regions 

1. A warming tool comprising a front face part and a back face part formed from a flexible fabric; the front face part and the back face part comprising upper end parts, both side end parts, and lower end parts in peripheral edge sections thereof, the upper end parts and the both side end parts being connected respectively, whereby the warming tool has a bag shape that opens on the side of the lower end parts; the upper end parts comprising a neck part formed in center sections thereof to a size that allows a head of a human body to pass therethrough; the both side end parts comprising arm parts formed on an upper part side thereof so that arms of the human body can pass therethrough; and the front face part further comprising a plurality of pockets on a surface thereof for holding heating elements that emit heat when brought into contact with air.
 2. The warming tool according to claim 1, wherein the neck part is linearly formed between the upper end parts of the front face part and the back face part.
 3. The warming tool according to claim 1, further comprising sleeve parts connected to the arm parts and having a tubular shape so as to cover sections of the arms of the human body that protrude from the arm parts.
 4. The warming tool according to claim 1, having dimensions that, when worn on a human body of a standard type (presumably about 170 cm in height and about 60 kg in weight), allow at least both knees of the human body to be covered.
 5. The warming tool according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of pockets is formed only on the surface of the front face part and not on the back face part.
 6. The warming tool according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of pockets includes at least one of the following: (1) a pocket formed for disposing the heating element in a vicinity of an armpit of the human body; (2) a pocket formed for disposing the heating element in a vicinity from a groin region to a femoral region of the human body; and (3) a pocket formed for disposing the heating element in a vicinity of an abdominal region of the human body where bones do not exist.
 7. The warming tool according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of pockets includes a pocket formed for disposing the heating element in a vicinity of a middle of a chest of the human body.
 8. The warming tool according to claim 1, wherein the front face part further comprises a hole for promoting intake of heat from the heating element into the warming tool, in each pocket forming position.
 9. The warming tool according to claim 1, wherein: the pocket comprises an upper side fabric piece and a lower side fabric piece; the upper side fabric piece comprising a peripheral edge section connected to the surface of the front face part, excluding a lower end side; the lower side fabric piece comprising a peripheral edge section connected to the surface of the front face part, excluding an upper end side; and the pocket being formed so that a lower side end part of the upper side fabric piece overlaps with an upper side end part of the lower side fabric piece, the heating element can be inserted and removed through this overlapping part, and the heating element is prevented from falling out of the pocket.
 10. The warming tool according to claim 1, wherein the flexible fabric is made of a nonwoven fabric that contains calcium carbonate and polypropylene.
 11. The warming tool according to claim 1, wherein the flexible fabric has a warm color such as yellow or orange.
 12. A warming kit, comprising: the warming tool according to claim 1 that stores heating elements in pockets; and a bag that stores the warming tool folded to a predetermined size; the warming tool being vacuum-packed by the bag to prevent the heating elements from emitting heat.
 13. The warming kit according to claim 12, further comprising a cord member that is stored inside the bag and is for securing the warming tool worn on a human body to the human body.
 14. A method for manufacturing a warming kit, comprising the steps of: removing heating elements vacuum-packed in advance from a bag; inserting the heating elements into the pockets of the warming tool according to claim 1; folding the warming tool to a predetermined size, and storing the folded warming tool in a bag; vacuum-drawing the air inside the bag; and sealing an opening of the bag.
 15. A warming method, comprising the steps of tearing the bag of the warming kit according to claim 12, pulling the warming tool of the warming kit over a head of a human body, passing the head through the neck part, and passing arms of the human body through the arm parts while causing the heating elements inside the pockets to emit heat, thereby warming the human body.
 16. The warming method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of binding the human body wearing the warming tool from an outer side of the warming tool using the cord member inside the bag of the warming kit according to claim 13, thereby preventing air warmed inside the warming tool from escaping to the outside. 